We got an email from Secret Garden Bookshop's Suzanne Perry explaining the Ballard bookshop's Christmas gift program, and it sounds like a damn good cause:

Through the holiday season, 120 green angels displayed around our shop represent children's names, ages, and their heart's desire in the form of a new book. They've been collected by our friend Michele Bacon, who, for the third year running, has worked in close association with three local schools: Whitman Middle School, Salmon Bay, and BF Day. Michele has spoken to the people in each school who know their kids best, counselors, school/home liasons, teachers and librarians, and together they've identified the kids least likely to receive a new book for the holidays. Then, the school representative has done a bit of investigative work, in order to find out what sort of book each kid would most like if only they could receive one....To fulfill our goal of 120 this year, we welcome our customers to pick an Angel, and choose a book or gift certificate to fulfill the wish. You'll get a discount on the book and we'll wrap it and make sure it gets hand delivered to the proper school before the start of winter recess. Books will be put in backpacks, given to parents, or handed directly to the target kid.

Thanks to Secret Garden for going out of their way to make sure Seattle takes care of its own. Go give them some love this Christmas.